Thursday, July 20, 2006

Point of reference indeed!

Take a look at these pictures of a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Raymond Burke for the Institute of Christ the King in what must be one of the USA's most beautifully preserved churches.







Indeed, with liturgies such as these, one can see why Pope Benedict and many others, including myself, believe that the classical Roman liturgy is a point of reference for the reform of the reform, giving us a more fixed, objective liturgical point of reference.

This sort of liturgy demonstrates the kind of heavenly orientation and ethos that we must work towards in all of our liturgies, whatever rite, use or books -- and that includes the Tridentine rite itself! Indeed, the beautiful liturgies of the Institute of Christ the King are themselves also a model for other Tridentine rite communities; they are exemplars in striving for excellence, dignity and decorum in the solemn celebration of the sacred rites. In that sense, liturgies like these and like those at the Brompton or Toronto Oratory are models not only for the reform of the reform, but models generally.

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